Celebration anyone?

Me, I’m not big on celebrations. They’re fine and I often enjoy them, but you need to keep them small for me. We have had two thing worth celebrating over this past weekend. The first was our 37^th wedding anniversary. Thirty-seven years, where does the time go? There are a few restaurants opening around us, but I wasn’t that excited about going to any of them. I’m not really worried about catching something. I’m just not quite ready yet. I hadn’t even been out anywhere to buy a card. So I wrote Nick a little letter – which he said was better than a card anyway. Here’s part of the note.

Happy Anniversary honey,

I decided to write instead of a card. You know I’m not that wild about celebrations. I like ordinary days the best. I like you telling me good bye in the morning, although you do forget at times. (I don’t think he’s ever forgotten, but sometimes I don’t really wake up and I always accuse him of not remembering.)  I like you coming and sitting with me in my writing room when you get home. I like both of us being comfortable with silence when we’re home together. I like getting supper ready, bumping into one another in the kitchen as we reach over or under or try to avoid the microwave door. I like both of us feeling comfortable asking the other to get up and get something, because the cat’s sitting on us. I like slipping into bed at night and having you reach over and pat my butt or rub my feet with yours.

I guess when you add all these likes together it adds up to love. And I do love you.

Maybe in the years to come we’ll plan some big do… or take a trip or something. But right now I’m pretty content with what we’re doing day in and day out.

Our second celebration this weekend was Nick’s dad’s 99^th birthday. The family has gotten together for lunch every Sunday since long before I joined the family. All the brothers and sisters come and often the grandchildren and great-grandchildren that still live here. But we haven’t all been getting together for as few months now. For the time being we take turns and go up one family at a time. 

But we all went up this Sunday, twenty in all. We picnicked in his yard, on the shady side and  kept a reasonable distance from one another. I really enjoyed seeing and talking to everyone again. Ninety-nine and still going strong. He lives alone, although there are people there most of the time. Two ladies alternate during the days and then the kids take turns bringing his dinner and staying to help him into bed at night. I think he really enjoyed seeing all the family too. What else would you want on your 99^th birthday?